With Big Blue Madness on Friday, the college basketball season is nearly upon us. Left and right, different websites and publications are picking All-Americans and ranking teams in the preseason. Today, Gary Parrish and Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports offered their preseason rankings and John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats figure largely into the proceedings. The Cats are ranked No. 2 behind only North Carolina and the two writers had this analysis of the team:
Top returnees: Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, Darius Miller.Top newcomers: Anthony Davis, Mike Gilchrist, Marquis Teague, Kyle Wiltjer.Outlook: John Calipari again has a freshman-heavy roster talented enough to win a national championship. Can he do it? Who knows? But the pieces are in place considering five guys are projected to be selected in the 2012 NBA Draft — among them Davis, the likely No. 1 overall pick.
UK is one of three teams to rank in the top 11 according to CBS along with Vanderbilt (No. 7) and Florida (No. 11).If you missed it earlier this week, Luke Winn from SI.com has been doing a series of ratings this week himself. He started by taking a look at the nation’s top frontcourts, among which he ranked UK second:
KentuckyTerrence Jones, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kyle Wiltjer, Eloy VargasIt wouldn’t be a stretch to see a more mature version of Jones contend for the Wooden/Naismith Awards — unless, that is, he’s outshined by Davis, a 6-10 freshman who could very well be the first pick in the 2012 NBA draft. The tenacious Kidd-Gilchirst is expected to be one of UK’s best wing defenders from Day 1.
UK’s guards isn’t far behind, because Winn ranks the Cats’ third in his backcourt ratings:
KentuckyMarquis Teague, Doron Lamb, Darius Miller, Twany BeckhamTeague is the latest in coach John Calipari’s parade of elite freshman point guards to hit Lexington, and will likely follow the John Wall-Brandon Knight route of one-and-done to the NBA. Lamb is one of the country’s most dangerous perimeter shooters, and Miller, a 6-7 senior, will be the only upperclassman in the starting lineup.
Finally, Winn put together a list of college basketball best shooters and Lamb comes in at fifth:
Doron LambSoph., KentuckyBrandon Knight and Terrence Jones were the Wildcats’ most-hyped freshmen last season, but Lamb proved to be a highly effective perimeter weapon whom defenses helped off of at their own risk. He made 48.6 percent of his threes (68-of-140) and should be new point guard Marquis Teague’s No. 1 option on drive-and-kick passes.
